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By Oseloka Obaze
One of Nigeria’s the greatest challenge in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, is that it has never had a lead agency in charge of both challenges.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThis is despite the existence of the Counter Terrorism Unit within the Nigerian Police Force and the creation of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) in different sectors, mostly in Northern Nigeria. Thus her response to insurgency and terrorism has always been scattershot and to that end, not always effective. Counter-insurgency and Counter-terrorism achievements are quite inversely disproportional to resources expended over the years.
Because Nigeria has not accomplished much in tackling expansive domestic terrorism despite her long awareness of the presence of Boko Haram, ISWAP and ISIS armed terrorists within its jurisdiction, the discussion of possible solutions has shifted to seeking external assistance. In over two decades, well over 25,000 people have been killed and 2.8 million people displaced from their homesteads.
The US airstrike intervention at the close of 2025 against ISIS elements, unmasked in clear terms, Nigeria’s gross limitations. As Security sector reform experts assert, “it is government’s limited capacity with security breaches by Boko Haram and a host of other armed violent groups, became the basis for the emergence of other armed groups wanting to fill the gap.”
Relatedly, Nigeria has now acquiesced to expert counter-terrorism advice from the United States. This development speaks volumes.
Against the backdrop of a seeking a robust response to the terrorism challenges, Nigerians woke up recently to the notion that the country has recruited, trained, equipped, mobilized and was about ready to deploy a a brigade (7000 men or 7 battalions) of National Forest Guards, tasked with the responsibility for securing the nation’s vast ungoverned spaces. The announcement instantly raised genuine questions from members of Nigeria’s attentive public, notably, Sen. Babafemi Ojudu, who penned a very lucid and unvarnished op-ed, titled, “Forest Guards and the Perils of Ungoverned Power.”
To these expressed concerns, I merely ask: Do we have national Forest Guards or an Army outside the Army? Disturbing issues of motive, recruitment modalities, training, legislative and statutory authority, funding, oversight, deployment, armament, command and control, etc, has arisen. Perfunctory research indicates that that statutory responsibility forest management devolves on the Federal Ministry of Environment. Nonetheless, state governments remain custodians of forests within their respective jurisdiction.
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There is also documentary evidence that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has now assumed the lead in the new National Forest Guard Initiative (NFGI) and the Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS). While the details of the multi-agency arrangement are quite sketchy, it seems that the primary focus and remit for the Forest Guards is on-ground protection against crime like illegal logging; not necessarily interdiction of bandits and insurgents occupying forests and other ungoverned spaces.
This overall development presents a dejavu. The emergence of the National Forest Guards drums up echoes of the Nigerian National Guard. In 1989, President Ibrahim Babangida mooted the idea of the Nigerian National Guard, to combat crime and terrorism, internal security, as well as provide ancillary support to the Nigerian military and Nigerian police. The Guard was to report directly to the President. The formation gained urgency, in the aftermath of the failed Orkar coup of April 1990. Those selected to lead the National Guard, were discernibly some of Babangida’s core loyalists. As such, the nascent National Guard was riddled with controversy from the very onset.
In late April 1993, Colonel Abdul Mumuni Aminu, a commander, announced that the National Guard would be deployed on Nigeria’s borders, and that its duties would not conflict with those of the army or the police. This did not sit well with the incumbent government. Some months later, due to deep-seated concerns over obvious overlaps with statutory responsibilities of the Army and Police, and more worrisome, possibilities of political misuse, witch-hunting and intimidation, including the elongation of stay in power, the National Guard was disbanded by the Interim National Government (ING).
Consequently, on 23 October, 1993, the then guard commandant, Col. Lawan Gwadabe, announced “that about 120 officers of the Guard, who were seconded from the various armed forces, would return to their parent units … and 3,000 guardsmen redeployed to the three divisions of the army.” It was also disclosed that clearly, the Interim National Government “had no provisions for the funding of the Guard.” The ING itself would collapse one month later, as the military once again, returned fully to power under Gen. Sani Abacha.
The idea of the National Guard has never died fully; “the concept is revived periodically to address complex security needs.” In 2024, the 10th National Assembly received a Bill that sought “to establish the National Guard of Nigeria to provide additional support to the Armed Forces and other security agencies in ensuring national security.” It was to inter-alia, “participate in peacekeeping missions, and support civil authorities in maintaining law and order and will be domiciled under the jurisdiction of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
It seems,the previous effort to establish the National Guard has now mutated to the establishment of the equivalent of seven battalions of National Forest Guards. Incidentally, there is no indication that they will be deployed nationwide; which itself is a problem. Conspiracy theorists have even suggested that with the military disavowing the absorption of rehabilitated bandits, the National Forest Guards offers another medium to continue that absorption process. This might be mere speculation, but the veracity of such claims needs to be debunked with clear and concrete facts, lest they gain currency.
There is hardly anything wrong with national institution building. Agencies like Amotekun, Hisbah, Ebubeagu , and the Zamfara State Community Protection Guard (CPG), founded by various states were backed by law. The idea of Community Police and State Police remain topical. The incumbent IGP, has reportedly formed a committee to further interrogate the prospects and sustainability of State Police. In an era, where the creation of state police and community police are still being hotly debated and not yet sanctioned by the legislative authorities, how do we end up with a paramilitary organization with opaque origin and mandate?
There is overarching need for explanations, full disclosure and transparency. Is this a question of good intention hobbled by a wrong approach. What are the terms of reference (TOR) of the National Forest Guards, and if due process was followed, were such TORs backed by an Executive Order or legislation that has been gazetted and in the public purview. The question of ownership arises in this context. Is this a federal or state entity, or is it amorphous and of dubious parentage?
Besides the Sambisa Forest, Nigeria is full of high and lowland forests, including the Arochukwu forest, Afi River forest, Ethiope and Jamieson forests, the Sapele forest, Ngel Nyaki forest , Omo forest, Owu forest, Ookpolodum forest, Oji forest, the Ozuitem forest, and the Ufuma forest. Of these, where will the National Forest Guards be deployed, or is this a strictly northern forests arrangement?
Here are some points that further begs the question. Are the Forest Guards an army outside the army? What level on interdiction can such ad hoc forest guards accomplish, where trained military professionals have not been so successful? These are questions that demand full and immediate answers. For now, Nigerians must agree with me that the National Forest Guards have no bona fides, given its dubious parentage. And that’s a fact, until proven otherwise.
Obaze is MD/CEO, Selonnes Consult – a policy, governance and management consulting firm in Awka.
Amanze Chinonye is a Staff Correspondent at Prime Business Africa, a rising star in the literary world, weaving captivating stories that transport readers to the vibrant landscapes of Nigeria and the rest of Africa. With a unique voice that blends with the newspaper's tradition and style, Chinonye's writing is a masterful exploration of the human condition, delving into themes of identity, culture, and social justice. Through her words, Chinonye paints vivid portraits of everyday African life, from the bustling markets of Nigeria's Lagos to the quiet villages of South Africa's countryside . With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the complexities of Nigerian society, Chinonye's writing is both a testament to the country's rich cultural heritage and a powerful call to action for a brighter future. As a writer, Chinonye is a true storyteller, using her dexterity to educate, inspire, and uplift readers around the world.
